Legal Lynching: Racism, Injustice, and the Death Penalty

Jackson, Rev. Jesse

ISBN 10: 1569247617 / ISBN 13: 9781569247617

Published by Da Capo Press, 1996

About this Item

This hardcover book is square and tight. The boards and spine have no wear with pristine gilt. The pages and endpages are clean, with no markings or folds. The dustjacket is As New. Original Price is intact. Not ex-lib. No remainder mark.

Seller Inventory # 002741

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Legal Lynching: Racism, Injustice, and the Death Penalty
• Publisher: Da Capo Press
• Publication Date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1569247617
• ISBN 13: 9781569247617
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: First Edition
• Condition: Collectible; Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: As New
• Seller catalogs:
  • First Edition

About this title

Synopsis

The African-American activist argues the case against the death penalty, examining its recent history and revealing how it disproportionately affects blacks and sometimes leads to the killing of innocent defendants. 50,000 first printing. IP.

Reviews

Jackson has performed many functions over the years, among them preacher, prophet, and political candidate. But this is his first book: an accessible recapitulation of the arguments that have convinced most of the world's industrialized nations to end capital punishment. Using vivid factual incidents to humanize statistics and legal analysis, Jackson describes capital punishment's history and effective alternatives to "legal lynching" (notably, variants on life-without-parole); examines the constitutional, moral, and theological questions that the death penalty raises; traces the impact of geography, race, sex, and economic status on U.S. sentencing patterns; explains how new limits on habeas corpus appeals increase the risk that innocent people will be executed; presents the research controversy over whether capital punishment does more to deter criminals or to brutalize society; and explores the blend of misinformation, doubts, and prejudice underlying the support for capital punishment displayed in public opinion polls. Though he has sometimes been a polarizing figure, here, as in his political campaigns, Jackson addresses all Americans, sharing his profound conviction that "because it is morally wrong, but also . . . unevenly and unfairly implemented, . . . humanity can no longer tolerate the death penalty." Mary Carroll